Bradford pear trees create landscape issues for East Tennessee

(WBIR) Bradford pear trees are one of the first trees to bloom in the spring in East Tennessee, but tree experts are warning that they are causing problems for the area.

Kasey Krouse, the urban forester for the City of Knoxville, said he has been trying to educate the public on the potential ramifications this tree can cause for the environment.

He said the Bradford pear tree became popular in East Tennessee 15 to 20 years ago. Originally, the trees' limbs often broke from strong gusts of wind or ice, and he said people then tried to create different cultivars for a stronger tree, which has now resulted in a hybrid-type tree.

"It was a hot tree to plant at that point in time, and it wasn't until 15-20 years later, just in the recent history, that we started seeing the real problems associated with the pear tree," Krouse said.

Birds started spreading the seeds across the landscape, he said, and the trees began growing in fields or along highways, in addition to residential neighborhoods.

Krouse now fears that the trees, if left uncontrolled, will push out other native vegetation.